Improvement in bottle-stoppers



Patented March 7,1876.

Wi mEEEEE- N-PETERS. P R, WASHINGTON, Dv C from the stopper-lever 1, consisting of a loop- STATES ATENT FFIoE.

J. BOARDMAN, oHAnLns MINGAY, MASSACHUSETTS.

AND JOHN s. BARROW, OF BOSTON, I

IMPROVEMENT IN BOTTLE-STOPPERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 1 74,534, dated March 7, 1876; application filed September 28, 1 875.

To all whom tt may concern:

Be it known that I, GUSTAF J OHNSON, of Oambridgeport, in the county of Middlescx and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improved Bottle-Stopper, of which the following is a specification: I

This invention relates to improvements in bottle-stoppers, and specially those used in connection with bottles containing mineral anrbother waters, liquors, and beer.

Figures 1, 2, and 3 are perspective views of bottlenecks provided with this improvement, the stopper being in position. Fig. 4 shows the stopper removed Fig. 5, a top view of the stopper; and Fig. 6, a view of the stopper-operatin g lever.

The bottle, partially shown, may be of any well-known shape or material, and its neck a may be of any well-known form, it being provided with a raised part or flange, b, to .receive against it a projection, b, to form a collar, 0, preferably of cast metal, and provided with ears d to receive the loop 0, bent at its lower ends to embrace the ears, and extending and movable above the open top of the bottle when the collar is in position on the neck. The collar 0 is of the form clearly shown in the drawing, and is cast in one piece. It has projections b to rest under and in contact with the shoulder of the bottle-head or With the flange I), and its sides f, curve-d upward, grasp each side of the bottle-head above the shoulder I) and protect the head. This collar 0 is placed over the top of the bottle and forced down over the outer portion of the swelled or inclined and enlarged head at the top thereof until' the projections I) pass the shoulder b, when they spring inward onto the smaller part of the bottle. The cast metal springs sufficiently to allow of the application of the collar 0 in this way, and when in position the collar will remain as long as the bottle lasts. The stopper consists of a' piece of metal, h, provided with ears 1', having fitted to it a flexible or elastic shield, j, preferably of india-rnbber, suitably secured to a projection from the under side of the stopper. The ears i are provided with openings to receive projections k its thickness.

like or bent lever, as represented in Fig. 6,

pivoted at its center on the loop 6, forked and provided at one end with projections to spring between and enter holes in the ears t', and provided at its outer end with a horizontally-extending thumb-piece, m.

By pivoting the stopper to the end of the lever, and so that it moves with the lever, the stopper may be easily, quickly, and accurately directed and entered into the mouth of the bottle by the movement of the lever. When inserting the stopper the thumb will usually rest between the lever m and the top of the stopper, and the forefinger on the upper part of the lever*toward the loop 0. The stopperlever is provided with an opening to receive the loop, the latter being passed through such opening before both its ends are bent to fit ears-d. This is a very cheap, easy, and simple way of providing the lever with afulcrum. The stopper-coverj is rounded, as shown, and easily adapts itself to the mouth of the bottle.

The end m of the lever Z, when the stopperpiece is forced into the neck of the bottle, as in Fig. 1, rests on the top of the stopper-piece, and the upper end of the loop 6 is always held just beyond the centers of the openings of the ears '5, into which openings the lever Z is pivoted. By allowing the end m of the lever to rest against the piece h the position of the loop is always right, audit is immaterial as to the form of the outside of the bottle-neck or In Fig. 4 it will be noticed that the openings in the ears 2' to receive the projections 70 on the forked end of the lever are placed aside from the center of the plate h about one-eighth of an inch, and this arrangement of stopper and lever permits the stopper as it moves in the arc of a circle, with the loop side as the radius, to

enter the mouth of the bottle evenly, and the bifurcated ends-of the lever in the ears *5 near the extreme sidesof the plate'h enables the stopper to be crowded down evenly at all points. The outer end of the lever, owing to the fact that it finds its seat on the surface of the plate h, is more reliable and certain in its action than if it extended downward and rested against the projecting portion of the rubber which varies in thickness, and with the lever arranged horizontally, as shown, upward pressure of the thumb only is needed to disengage the stopper, and a bottle in each hand may be opened simultaneously.

I claim- 1 1. The stopper-piece h '5, loop 0, and collar 0. provided with ears d, in combination with the lever Z, provided with the horizontally-extended thumb-piece m, adapted to rest on the top of piece h when the stopper-piece is forced in the bottle-opening to hold the loop and lever, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a bottle, of a onepiece collar forced thereon, substantially as described, and adapted to grasp the enlarged 

